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Rise and Shiny: Dino Storm
I have a real love for finding tiny, unknown, indie titles -- especially ones that are obviously made for younger gamers -- and playing them for a write-up. It's one of the perks of the job; I get to dig up these gems and tell thousands of people about them. Games like Dino Storm also serve to remind me about why I got into blogging about games before I was ever paid to do it. There are virtual worlds to discover out there, and I find that thrilling. I especially like it when they boast this level of quality. Dino Storm might not challenge a more mature player, but it's surprisingly complex. It's got everything it needs to be considered a full-fledged MMO, but it also keeps in mind that younger players need a little help along the way. You'll play the role of a cowboy or girl who rides around on the backs of well-animated dinosaurs ranging from tiny to massive, and you'll also hunt after all sorts of quests and goods. I did have a few small issues with the game, but the development team seemed willing and ready to patch them up.
Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes goes down swinging today
Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes' final month is up and the game is scheduled to be closed at 5:00 p.m. EDT today. That doesn't mean the title will be going down without one heckuva fight! According to Wrath of Heroes' Facebook page, the developers are spending the last few hours in battle with the players. The team has also added a chance for killers to transform into vampire chickens or bloodthirsters. If you're just now finding out about the sunset and want more information, check out EA's FAQ on the closure. [Thanks to Adam for the tip!]
Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes is shutting down next month
Mythic's experiment in turning Warhammer Online into a microtransaction-flush MOBA has failed. The studio announced that Wrath of Heroes will be closing on March 29th. Wrath of Heroes went into open beta in late 2011 and never officially released. Producer James Casey wraps things up with a few bittersweet memories: "I think we created something special and I would not trade the time creating it or playing it (on all those Friday Fight Fests and anonymously almost every day) for anything." While players' gems will not be refunded, Mythic is planning to release "work in progress" heroes at a quick pace and discounted rate up to the game's shutdown. Additionally, players who purchased and had gems between the first of the year and today will be treated to a free month subscription and a chest of goodies in WAR. [Thanks to Etaew for the tip!]
WAR weathers difficult weekend, compensates players
Warhammer Online certainly has seen better weekends than this past one. Because of a nasty bug that caused immense amounts of lag spikes and zone crashes, Mythic was forced to take WAR's servers down while the team worked to isolate and fix the problem. The good news is that the issue has been fixed via a new build and the studio is working on a "compensation package" for those affected. The goodie package includes 10 days of game time, a golden writ, a seven-day XP and RP booster, a special title, and 10 lesser bone wards. The team is still checking some details in regard to the compensation period but will be letting players know when and for whom this package will be available.
RvR Unchained: Mark Jacobs returns to Camelot
It was no coincidence that Mark Jacobs was open to talking about his Warhammer Online experiences with us recently. If you deduced that it was the prelude to his MMO comeback attempt, you were right. Jacobs' City State Entertainment announced today that it's working on a new MMO under the working title of Camelot Unchained. And yes, it will be RvR-focused with three realms duking it out: Arthurian, Tuatha Dé Danann, and Viking. Camelot Unchained will tie RvR conflict into player housing and a dynamic economy as well. Because this tightly focused concept may prove to be too difficult to draw publisher support, the 13-person studio is turning to a future Kickstarter campaign for support. Obviously, we have no shortages of questions about this project, but we contained ourselves to the 10 most burning queries that we presented to Jacobs. Read about the future of Camelot after the jump!
Reminiscing about Warhammer Online with Mark Jacobs
When it comes to the 2008 phenomenon of Warhammer Online and the story of its rise and fall, there's one obvious source for the full dish: Mark Jacobs. The former big kahuna of Mythic Entertainment is now CEO of City State Entertainment, and while Jacobs is no longer in the WAR business, he's still passionate about making games and talking about his past experiences. We sat down with Jacobs to look at WAR and what he thought went right and wrong with the title. Even today, many gamers are passionately divided on the game's build-up to release and design decisions. Some lay the blame at Jacobs' doorstep, while others admire the passion and vision of this MMO creator. So what does Jacobs have to say when put to the question about WAR's outcome? Find out in this exclusive interview!
Return to Ekrund now in Warhammer Online's live event
A week ago, it was only a tease hinted at on Twitter. Now, it's a sure thing: The Return to Ekrund live event is on Warhammer Online servers. The event takes place in or around Ekrund, the tier one starting area for Dwarven Oathbreakers. Players can work through the many steps of the event to earn special rewards. Event tasks include safely escorting Dwarf historians, killing enemy Greenskins, piecing together puzzles, and more. Worried about turning into a chicken because your level is too high for a starting zone event? Don't be! Higher level players are tweaked in the RvR lakes (the PvP areas) and returned to a level fit for the area. However, don't expect to keep all your high-powered skills and your fast mount when you level down; you actually only get access to the skills, abilities, and tactics of that level!
The Perfect Ten: Why MMO armor is completely ridiculous
This is probably a rant best saved for another day, but I want to know when it became completely acceptable not to demand that MMO studios explain the building blocks of their game universes. The devs know that we'll just draw on tropes (usually fantasy) to fill in the gap, so most of the explanations they give for in-game reasoning have to do with a weak backstory of a class instead of why, say, a liquid potion binds together bones and allows you resurrect completely after being chopped into 60 pieces. I get why tropes are depended on so much, but in my opinion, they rob these games of the potential to be more immersive and lifelike. Pretty much most elements of MMO games break down even when you apply the game's own internal logic (what little has been revealed) to it. Chief among these borked elements? Armor. MMO armor just doesn't make sense, nor does it hold up to even a light level of scrutiny. Today we're going to cast aside the "it's just fantasy, go with it" excuses to investigate why your gear is completely ridiculous from a common sense standpoint. Heck, I wasn't even breathing hard by the time I counted to 10 on this one.
Choose My Adventure: Back into the cave I go
Time for another turn at Choose My Adventure! It's been a while since my last turn at doing this column, but it certainly was memorable. Halfway through my six-week tour of Pirates of the Burning Sea, SOE was attacked by hackers and sent offline, leaving my pirate in drydock for quite some time. Hopefully this time around, things will be a bit smoother. One thing I'm particularly interested in this time around is getting to know not only the game but the community. Usually one of the first things people ask about a title they're considering playing is what the community is like. I explore a variety of guild and community related topics in my weekly column, so it seems natural to do the same during my adventure. So what will it be, Massively readers? Will I spin my own tale in the desert? Hang around with Poochums? Take a journey to Middle-earth? I look forward to your votes!
Warhammer Online hints at new live event
Is Warhammer Online preparing to unveil a brand-new live event to the game? A recent Twitter message by Mythic Implementation Lead Keaven Freeman suggests so. The developer posted a page from the Tome of Knowledge titled Return to Ekrund: A Stronghold Saga -- Part 1. The page discusses a Dwarf explorer who discovers an ancient stronghold which contains clues to "legendary weapons of great power." The page also shows a standard reward meter with three icons on it. A new live event is something to be anticipated and celebrated, so we'll be sure to follow this as it develops.
Today's Warhammer Online update unifies RvR currency
If you've played MMOs for any length of time, chances are you have come upon the dreaded "inventory full" message during your adventures. Warhammer Online is no exception to this phenomenon, and you don't have to be a certified packrat to run out of room when juggling the game's multiple RvR currencies. Even with the dedicated currency bag, the sheer volume of different types fills it quickly. But thanks to today's Game Update 1.4.8, Warhammer Online players will be able to convert all those crests, medallions, insignias, and emblems into a single currency -- war crests. In the patch notes released last Friday, Mythic Entertainment detailed the unification of RvR currencies, outlining the specific conversion rates and RvR reward distribution. It also announced the addition of a new novelty vendor (where players can spend those newly acquired war crests on special experience, renown, or influence gain buffs) along with other equipment and merchant changes.
The Road to Mordor: Sandbox features that would serve LotRO well
The tug-o-war in the MMO community between the virtues of sandbox vs. themepark designs looks like it's starting to result in a muddy heap in the middle: the sandpark. Personally, I think there are wonderful aspects of both designs (and drawbacks too), and a marriage between the two could offer more player freedom and creativity while keeping it structured and balanced. So I've been thinking about Lord of the Rings Online in regard to this and how it might benefit from a greater number of sandbox features in the future. I mean, on one hand we have one of the most "on rails" PvE games out there, but on the other hand there are seeds of great player freedom. Elements like the music system, the Winter-home theater, Hytbold, and the quite robust crafting system all serve to take us a step beyond the themepark. But what if LotRO took a few more steps toward sandboxy goodness? Seeing as how the original vision for the game was to make it a pure sandbox, I think that's not too farfetched a question. Here are several sandbox features that I think if married to the game would add to its appeal and variety.
EA given best workplace title for LGBT employees
If there's one thing reading Massively's comments has taught me, it's that major big-budget game companies are evil and probably kill kittens. But a recent rating by the Human Rights Campaign might work towards changing your mind about EA a bit. The Human Rights Campaign has given the company a 100 percent rating which has earned it the title of "Best Place to Work for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Equality" for 2013. In addition to providing what they call a welcoming work environment for everyone, EA has also made changes to its medical benefits, involved itself in LGBT community events, and publicly denounced the Defense of Marriage Act. EA currently publishes some of the most popular console and PC games out there, including the MMOs Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Secret World, Warhammer Online, and more.
The Perfect Ten: Character creation options nobody uses
There are two types of people in the world: those who can't get through the character creation menu fast enough to start playing "LordBladezz" and those who spend hours crafting the perfect face that will be seen by the player only 0.03% of the time. I've heard rumors of a species of middle-ground player, but I've yet to see one. I think there could be a doctoral thesis for someone willing to investigate which visual character creation options most of us use and which ones we ignore. My hunch is that most of us are looking to recreate an impeccable standard of beauty or handsomeness, resulting in game worlds exploding with Abercrombie & Fitch models. Because exploring the "most-used character creation options" isn't as much fun, today we're going to examine the 10 options that pretty much nobody uses. And yes, you'll feel compelled to comment that you do indeed use one of these and prove me wrong, so let me give you a gold star in advance for doing so. You're awesome.
BioWare Mythic is now just Mythic
Has the BioWare name lost its luster? That depends on whom you ask, of course, and we can't help but wonder at the mixed message behind Mythic's recent decision to dissociate itself from the famed RPG behemoth. In a blurb on the official Warhammer Online website, community manager Kai Schober writes that BioWare Mythic will henceforth be known as Mythic, which is a return to the studio's pre-2010 days before it merged with BioWare and adopted the parent company's name as its prefix. "In the wake of a new focus our studio has recently changed its name from BioWare Mythic to Mythic. Everything else stays the same -- our passionate teams will continue to support and develop our existing titles as well as working on some new and exciting projects," Schober writes.
Warhammer Online unleashes the Daemonic Gifts of Khorne
Chaos in Warhammer Online is bad news. It's bad news for the more orderly people of the realm, but it's also sometimes bad news for the followers of Chaos, since the deities can be a bit unfocused when spreading madness. Case in point: the new event in which several of Khorne's daemons have broken through and joined the battles across the land by attacking every mortal within arm's reach. That means both Order and Chaos players will be able to take part in the event to push back Khorne's minions. Participation simply requires players to slay Khorne's minions as well as throw in some enemy player kills. Successful participation rewards you with several boosts, including a special binding scroll for a daemon and new pieces of jewelry. No word on how long this event will take place, but considering it's a manifestation of chaos, we think it might be best to jump in and take advantage before it vanishes.
Warhammer's Daemon Moon Rising event now playing
If you haven't firmed up your MMO Halloween plans, we've got another event to tell you about. Warhammer Online's Daemon Moon Rising shindig is going on now through November 1st. It features a Daemonball Rally public quest, a Daemon Mask event quest, and the High Pass Cemetery Scenario which offers extra influence if you participate wearing a Daemon Mask. There are seasonal drops aplenty, too, including crafting components for talisman-makers. Full event details are available on the official Warhammer website.
Why I Play: DC Universe Online
I've played pretty much every superhero MMO that has come out since 1999. That means City of Heroes, Champions Online, Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, Hero Smash, and of course, DC Universe Online. There's something about superhero culture that speaks to all of us, and I think the feeling of roleplaying better or cooler versions of ourselves is the key. I tend to roll characters who are almost too much like me. They're superheroes, sure, but a bit weaker, smaller, and thinner than your usual caped crusader. Fortunately, almost every title has let me experiment, although sometimes my character has to resemble me... after working out for many years and wielding cosmic rays. At first, DC Universe Online did not impress me as much as some of the others. It did have several issues when it launched, some that are still in need of fixing, but over time, SOE has shown just what a priority continuing development is. Patches are frequent and robust, the item mall is restocked with cool items often, and the transition to free-to-play gives players more choices than ever before. But that's all technical mumbo-jumbo. This column is called Why I Play, not "Here Are Some Details About This Game." So why exactly do I find myself logging into DC Universe Online every week?
GDC Online 2012: Paul Barnett reimagines Ultima with a chicken and a spoon
Paul Barnett is a great storyteller with a passion for games. Anyone who followed Warhammer Online early on can't forget the engaging speeches and videos Barnett made through beta and launch. But it's no longer 2007, and he's long since moved on from Warhammer. Instead, he's been working on Ultima Forever, a browser-based, online rendition of Ultima IV. This week at GDC Online, he told the story of how the game came to be. He was given a chicken and a spoon and told to go away and try to make something. The only boundaries was that he couldn't have any other stuff, the game had to be good, and he had to do it quick and without help. Did Barnett succeed with his chicken and spoon? Read on for Barnett's tale of Ultima Forever as well as a look at the lessons he learned along the way.
The Daily Grind: Are dynamic events another MMO fad?
Move over, MMO story: dynamic events are this season's buzz word. Popularized by earlier MMOs like Warhammer Online and RIFT, dynamic events have become such an integral part of modern MMO design that brand-new Guild Wars 2 employs them as its central content conceit. Skip dynamic events in GW2 and you're going to have a rough time leveling (or surviving the ridicule of the commentariat, who consider dynamic events to be far superior to mundane, quest-like renown hearts). Even MMOFPS titles like Firefall are adopting the mechanic for their PvE fans. But is this actually the type of content we want to see from our MMOs, whatever their flavor? Never mind whether they're actually dynamic -- do you actually think they make for fun, desirable content? Or are we just so sick of themepark-style questing and leveling that we're willing to accept anything in its stead, even if that "anything" might be a fad akin to MMO story? What do you think -- are dynamic events all that and a bag of chips? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
